My Biography
Director – Choreographer Performer Musician Teacher Promoter
Tayyar Akdeniz founded and owns M.E.D. Folk Tours, Inc., and is now devoting his time between Turkey and the United States. He is looking forward to sharing his love of dance and music and his knowledge of Middle Eastern culture through many dance and music events both in the USA and Turkey.
Tayyar Akdeniz was born in Kars, Turkey. He was raised in Ankara where he began performing as a child.He was influenced greatly and learned many dance and music styles from the Romany (Gypsy) population in his neighborhood in Ankara.He worked and toured with many Turkish dance ensembles throughout his childhood and adolescence and started teaching professionally at the age of 16. Tayyar learned, performed and taught hundreds of Turkish folk dances for National folk dance associations in Turkey. He toured extensively throughout the world with the prestigious Turkish State Folk Dance Ensemble and with other dance troupes.
He has performed on the stages of Bulgaria, Romania, the former Yugoslavia, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Russia, Mexico, Albania, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cyprus and throughout the United States. He has learned dances from such well known masters as Duygu Aykal, Sonya Aslan, Gul Oya Arioba and Atlan Tekin. Tayyar has shared the stage with many very distinguished artists, musicians and singers, including Zeki Muren, Nida Tufekci, Arif Sag, Muhlis Akarsu, Izzet Altinmese, Ozay Gonlum, Belkis Akkale, Ajda Pekkan and Ibrahim Tatlises.
As a singer and musician, his skills with song, the baglama (lute), davul (drum) and kasik (wooden spoons) are much in demand. He has taught in Turkey at May 19th University, Samsun Municipal Conservatory and at Hacettepe University. His love of dance is evident in the sheer joy that he projects from the stage. His productions are of the highest caliber seen anywhere in ethnic dance and are virtually flawless.In 1989 Tayyar moved from Turkey to the United States, settling in New York. Since then he has worked tirelessly to keep a sense of Turkish culture alive in America, particularly for children.He has taught, organized and directed many folkloric activities sponsored by the Turkish American Youth Association, the Turkish Women’s League of America and currently continues to make a positive impact with his astonishing capabilities as the Director of Cultural Affairs for the Federation of Turkish American Associations, Inc.
His files are teaming with certificates, awards, invitations, and letters of thanks from various organizations and Turkish heads of State. In 1994, he established the award winning Turkish Fine Arts Ensemble, Inc. in New York City and toured with the group throughout the United States
TAYYAR AKDENIZ 12-6-1955 yilinda Kars ta dogdum. 5 yasinda Turk halk oyunlarina olan ilgim, ilk okul donemlerinde de devam etti. Ankara Yildirim beyazit lisesi okul donemlerinde , okul, cesitli dernek, kurum ve kuruluslarda calistim.1972-1975 yillarinda Hacettepe Uiversitesi Halk oyunlari toplulugunda muzisyen ve dans ogreticisi olarak gorev yaptim. 1975- 1983 yillari arasinda Devlet halk danslari Toplulugunda dansci olarak gorev yaptim. Bu donemlerde Turkiye de sayisiz programlara ve gosterilere dansci olarak katildim.Ayrica Turkiye yi yurt disinda tanitmak amaciyla, Bulgaristan,Romanya,Yugoslavya,Arnavutluk, Avusturya,Italya, Fransa, Almanya, Hollanda, Isvicre, Rusya, ABD, Meksika, Pakistan, Hindistan, Banglades,Tayland, Cin, Kore, Malezya, Endenozya, Singapur, Hong-Hong, Japonya, vs. gibi ulkelerdeki temsillerde dansci ve muzisyen ve teknik sorumlu olarak gorev aldim. 1984- 1986 yillarinda Samsun 19 Mayis Univesitesi ve Buyuk Sehir Belediyesi Konservatuari Halk oyunlari Topluluklarinda Ogretim gorevlisi olarak calistim 1986-1989 yillari arasinda Hacettepe Universitesi Guzel Sanatlar Fakultesi Muzikoloji toplulugunda ogretim gorevlisi olarak calistim. Ayni yillarda Ankara Sanat Kultur ve Turizm Dernegi Genel Baskanligi ve TRT Cocuk halk Oyunlari grubunda ogretici ve muzisyen olarak gorev yaptim. 1989 yilindan bu yana New York ta yasamaktayim. 1 Aralik 1990 tarihinde New York ta Broadway Symphony Space deTurk Amerikan Genclik dernegi ile Anadoludan Esintiler programini ve yine ayni salonda 17 Nisan 1992 tarihinde , Turkiyem 23 Nisan Cocuk Senligini Ataturk ilk Okulu ile gerceklestirdim. Ayrica, 17 Mayis 2000 yilinda USA World Music Institute beraberliginde, New York Turk American Dernekleri Federasyonu 19.Turk Gunu festivalinde New York Fashion Institute of Technology ( FIT) gosteri salonda, Anadoludan Esintilerin ikincisini 2001 yilinda Ucuncusunu, 2002 yilinda dorduncusunu The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter Collge salonunda gerceklestirdim. 2003 yilindan bu yana Folk Tours Inc kurulusunun baskanligini yapiyorum New York ve Turkiyede Dans ve Muzik organizasyonlari duzenliyorum. ABD’ nin cesitli eyaletlerinde duzenenlenen festival ve programlara, Turk halk oyunlari ve Muzigi konularinda ogretici, dansci ve muzisyen olarak katilmaktayim